Past in Future: The Experience of Beauty

From Friday, September 11 to Monday, September 14, 2026, the Pithecusae Archaeological Museum at Villa Arbusto (Lacco Ameno, Ischia) will host the event “Past in Future”: precious terracotta artifacts from the Han and Tang dynasties will be displayed alongside European silverware from the 17th to the 20th centuries, Japanese coral, ivory, and artist jewelry, in the first annual showcase dedicated to ancient art.

Held under the patronage of the Municipality of Lacco Ameno, this unique “Experience of Beauty” brings together ancient Chinese art and the Western goldsmithing tradition in the setting that houses the Nestor’s Cup, one of the oldest known examples of Greek writing.

The choice of venue is no coincidence: Villa Arbusto, an 18th-century residence purchased in 1952 by publisher Angelo Rizzoli, houses artifacts from the excavations carried out by Giorgio Buchner at the oldest Greek settlement in the Western Mediterranean.

The Pithecusae collections will be presented alongside Chinese archaeological terracottas selected by Christian Deydier, one of the world’s leading experts in Chinese archaeology. A graduate in Chinese Language and Civilization from the University of Paris and trained in Taipei, his first publication, issued by the École Française d’Extrême-Orient, focused on jiaguwen—the oracle bone inscriptions on bones and turtle shells dating to the Shang dynasty (12th century BC), the earliest known form of Chinese writing.

"I cannot remain indifferent to the testimony preserved by the Nestor’s Cup, an extraordinary example of Greek writing," explains Christian Deydier. "I consider ancient writings to be true challenges through which to interpret and understand each civilization. Displaying them alongside the Nestor’s Cup means bringing together two of humanity’s most fascinating written and figurative testimonies."

Equally spectacular are the silver pieces presented by Antonio D’Ortona and Marinella Veronesi (Silver&Silver, Bologna), featuring works dating from the 17th century to the present day, including a set of four English candlesticks by silversmith J. Pollock (1751) and a French champagne cooler dating from 1860 in the Meissonier style.

Two private collections of Japanese coral and exceptional ivory pieces will complete this cabinet of wonders, together with artist jewelry presented by Barbara Bassi in collaboration with Marina Ruggieri.

According to Domenico De Siano, Mayor of Lacco Ameno, and Giovanni Monti, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality: "The patronage confirms the town’s cultural vocation: Villa Arbusto once again becomes a meeting place between civilizations, just as Pithecusae was twenty-eight centuries ago. Thanks to this initiative, the island will welcome scholars and collectors to an event that combines culture with the promotion of the local area."

An exclusive invitation-only opening evening will officially launch the event on Thursday, September 10 at 8:00 PM.